If you’ve seen the Hangover series of films, then you’ll love this geriatric version. Imagine Doug, Phil, Stu and Alan, but 40 years older. Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Kevin Kline and Morgan Freeman star in this high-budget film about four guys who have one last bachelor party, and it’s either go hard or go home for these seniors. The film has received mixed reviews from critics, with many agreeing that it is just a more toned-down version of the Hangover. Whatever – it’s still good fun.
The four men have been best friends since childhood, and they nicknamed themselves the “Flatbush Four”. However, the film shifts focus onto their retirement years, and many things have changed. Two of them are living mundane lives as retired persons, and Morgan Freeman’s character Archie has a very overprotective son. Michael Douglas’ character Billy is very rich, and lives in Malibu with his much younger girlfriend. Lastly, Robert De Niro plays Paddy, who is mourning over the recent death of his wife. Billy decides to marry his girlfriend, and with some trouble convincing Paddy, they all meet up in Las Vegas for the stag do. On arrival, they meet a singer played by Mary Steenburgen, and the boys all begin to compete for her affection. But there’s a surprising and heartbreaking twist towards the end of the movie that jeopardises the entire group’s friendship…
You already know who most of the characters are by now, so there’s no need to go into depth by looking at them further. You will also see amusing cameos from celebrities, including Redfoo (one half of LMFAO, the disco group that was huge a few years back) and 50 Cent himself, asking to come into the party they’ve hosted for Billy. How the mighty have fallen!
So the film is set in the fabulous Las Vegas. The gang end up staying in the Aria resort and casino, which is one of the fanciest and newest ones on the Strip. They get the Penthouse suite, which is the most expensive one in the entire hotel (Archie won a load of money at blackjack and the hotel upgraded them all). It’s good, because in a way, you get to see how the other half live. You get to see the fancy swimming pools they have, and it gives you something to dream about. “When I’m older, I want to be like the Flatbush Four, living it up in Las Vegas…” Yeah, me too.
The film has a pretty good soundtrack, and UK audiences will be pleased to hear the summery sounds of Rizzle Kicks making their way to the US. The music really helps to show the party atmosphere of the city. More importantly, this film teaches you quite a lot about love, like what real love should actually feel like. It also shows you the importance of friendship, and that real friends never let their pals do anything they’ll regret, even if it doesn’t make them popular. Happy watching, folks!
Image from: http://www.ew.com/article/2012/11/05/last-vegas-robert-de-niro-morgan-freeman
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